Check protector



Aug. 18, 1931. F. J. MATTHEWS 1.3195375 CHECK PROTECTOR Filed Jan. 15', 1930- 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 gwoomtoc 46 FranltJMmf/ww;

Aug. 18,- 1931. F. J. MAT'THEWS CHECK PROTECTOR Fi led Jan. is, 1930 :s Sheets-Sheet 2 QMQMW anlrJMaZZhea/s F. J. MATTHEWS 1,819,375

CHECK PROTECTOR Aug. 18, 1931.

Filed Jan. 15'," 1930 s Sheets-Sheet :5

M MMMM MMM M Patented Aug. 18, 1931 UNITED STATES FRANK J. MATTHEWS, or sE TTLE', WASHINGTON CHECK "PROTECTOR Application filed January 15, 1930. Serial no. 420,933.

' My invention relates to devices intended to make diflicult, if not impossible, the alteration of written documents, especially such documents. as checks and like negotiable instruments. v

" It is an object of my invention to provide a device for this purpose, of simple and inexpensive construction, to be: operated by rolling over the surface of the paper a series f, of marking devices by hand. i o

It is an object of my invention to provide a device of this general character, wherein the marking devices may be altered in pou sition at .will, relative to one another, to provide thereby various patterns.

' 'It is another-object to provideia device of this character, by means' of which there is automatically produced a wavy line, or a series of wavy lines.

In general, t is my Object to Provide a check protector madeup of a number of independent marking elements, whichmay be left to have independent motion, or which may be secured together to operate as a unit in various'combinations.

, My invention comprises. the novel parts, and'the novel combination thereof, asfshown in the accompanying drawings, described inthe specification, and as. will bemor'e p'ar 5b ticularly defined by'the claims which .ter'

minate the same. p I In the accompanying drawings ljhave shown my invention in forms which are at present] preferred by me, together with ilmay be accomplished by such a device I Figure lis a planview ofmy device in position for use. i i

Figure 2 1s an anal section through the 4 0 device.

Figure 3' is a view similar to" Figure 1, and Figure 4 a view like Figure 2, of the device in a different, adjustment a Figure 5 is an end view'of the device.

Figure 6 is an end view of one ofthe pair Of cooperatingwashersf V r H V Figure Tis a plan view are slight dii fication.

Fi ure 8 is a side elevation'thereof, and

Figure 9 an end elevation.

lustrations of thecharac'ter of work whichv forms no part of my invention, butvarious I which are formed in the peripheries of'disks Figure 10 is'an axial sectionthrough the markingdevices, taken on the line 1010 ofFigure 9. i

Figure 11 is a view similar to Figure 10 of a slightly modified form. 65

Figure'12 is an end elevation ofthe marking units, and Figure 13 an axial section on the line 13-13 of Figure 12, showing a slight modification. Figure 14 is a plan View on a larger scale, of a further modification, and Figures 15 and 16 are perspective views of. elements which may be incorporated into such a modification.

Figure 17 is a simulated signature, which is'to be protected, and Figure 18 is aview of the same protected by. thepreferred'form of my device. 7 r r f.

Figure is a similar view of a signature protected a modification.

Figures 20- to 28, inclusive, are illustrations of the various adaptations and patternscapable of accomplishment-by iny "(le vice, the last being accomplished by means ofthe form shown in Figures 14k and 15. r

As will be understood frominspection of r I,

the drawings,I propose toalterfthe' surface of a piece of paper which is. to be protected by either printing-thereon dots, letters, or various characters, or by perforating the paper 'atfspaced points, or by both perfo-v ratingand imprinting uponthe paper be tween' tlieperforations or in the perfora tions,'as maybe preferred- The use of any particular style of marking or imprinting 5 forms of marking may be accomplished'by means of my device. Therefore, when I speak of the'alteration or [marking of the surface of the paper, it is understood that any or all of these means are intended.

The marl ing. devices comprise, in thepreferredforms, independent spaced'points 10,

or rollersjl'. These disks orrollers' 1, in-j stead'of beingcut over the surface of a cylinder of some length, arenarrow and independent of each other, and may be spaced apart by spacers 11, formed separate from m or integral withtherollers 1. The various rollers are co-axial, and supported in suitable fashion to permit them to roll over the surface of a piece of paper. For this purpose, they may be strung upon a hollow 5 spindle 2 (see Figures 2 and 4), which is threaded at its ends, as indicated at 21. A nut 22 threaded thereon at each end prevents the loss of the several rollers 1, and when desired clamps them together. To enable handling of the composite unit thus described, a handle 3 may be provided, this conveniently comprising a piece of wire doubled upon itself, and having inwardly directed trunnions 30 received within the bore of the hollow spindle 2.

It will be evident that the marking points 10, usually identically spaced on the several rollers I, may be adjusted relative to the point of the adjacent rollers, and they may be held in such an adjusted position by means of the clamping nut 22, acting through washers 4 and 44. -At times it may be desired to mark the paper in a series of wavy lines, and this may be accomplished by making the two washers'4 and 44 tapered, each complemental to the other, and by adj usting them to give a greater or lesser angle to the individual rollers. One of the washers has a key 46 fitting in a corresponding slot in the sleeve 2 toprevent its rotation as the complemental washer is rotated. An index 47, cooperating with a like index 48 on the washer 44, indicates how much the rotatable washer has been moved, relative to the fixed washerJ The, clamping means, either the nuts 22 in Figures 1 to .5, or the single nut 22 and theterminal flange 20 of Figure 10, keeps the washers in adjusted position. To fix definite relative positions of the washers 4 and 44 they may be pro,- vided with complemental notches and radial ribs indicated at 45. Such an arrangement will cause the several rollers 1 tobe inclined somewhat relative to any plane normal to' the axis of rotation .of the marking unit, and will produce aneffect like that shown in Figure 18, wherein. the several lines }of dots 19, which correspond to -the several rollers 1, are slightly waved.

If the wavy effect is not desired, the-tapered washers 4 and 40may be shifted to compensate the one for the other, or in the form of Figure 11, may he removed and replaced by washers 41 and 42, having parallel faces. Tolpcrmitthe removal .of the washers, the spring arms of the handle 3 are forced apart sufliciently to permit removal of the trunnions 3O from the bore ofthe sleeve 2. Such an arrangement may .produce an eifect like that shown in Figure 19,, whereall of the lines of themarking points are straight.

It .may' be desired top lace the marking points 10 in such a way as to produce a pattern, either of inclined or curved lines trans? versely of the line of marking, and such has been indicated in various patterns in Figures 20 to 26 inclusive. Thus, the change from one arrangement to another is quickly and easily accomplished by loosening one of the clamping nuts 22, and setting the points 10 according to the pattern de whereupon they are held in adjusted position by tightening the clamping nut 22.

As a means permitting the rollers 1 to befree tov roll, each independently of the other, and to wobble slightly, I have provided an arrangement such as is shown in Figures 12 and 13. This involves the employment of the tapered washers 4 and 40, one at each end,,but in this case I may provide a finger 43 on one or both of these washers, by means of which the onecan be tightened against the other to hold the rollers 1 in an adjusted position, or may be quickly slacked off to leave them free, or to permit their adjustment relative to one another. 'In this form, I have also shown the clamping nut 22 omitted, and replaced by a swaged over head 24. The bores of the rollers 1, being somewhat larger than the sleeve 2, will permit the rollers to wobble unless they are clamped together.

It maybe desired to mark the check with characters, initials, or words, and for this purpose I may provide, on the rollers- 1 or upon the intermediate washers or .spacers 11, characters, as indicated at 15 in Figures 14, 15, and 16. These may be employed alone, if desired, ,or in combination with the marking points 10. I

It will be apparent that various combina tions of patternS may be obtained, and in using the sharp marking points .or perforating points 10 the check to be perforated is laid upon aresilient material, such as a sheet of rubber, and the series of rollers drawn across it. When only the characters 15 are to be employed they may be of rubber,.and will be employed. against a hard backing surface. I

What I claim as my invention is:

1.,A check protector comprising a handle and a plurality .of independent rollers supported thereon, means. upon the peripheries of said rollers for marking the surface of a piece of paper over which they may be drawn, and means for altering the relative positionsof the marki-ng devices on adjacent rollers.

2. A check protector comprising a handle and a plurality of independent rollerssupported thereon, means upon the peripheries of said rollers for marl'ring the surface of a piece of paper .over which they are rolled, said means being equally spaced on the several rollers, and means permitting setting of the marking devices on one roller slightly in advance of those on an'adjacent roller.

3.- A Check protector omprising a handle and a plurality of independent rollers coaxially supported and freely rotatable thereon, and having means on their peripheries for altering the surface of a piece of paper over which they may be drawn, and means for tilting said rollers at an angle to a plane normal to the axis of rotation.

at. A check protector comprising a handle and a plurality of independent rollers coaxially supported and freely rotatable thereon, and having means on their peripheries for altering the surface of a piece of paper over which they may be drawn, the bearings for said rollers being loose, permitting each of them to Wobble and roll independently of the others, and means for securing said rollers together to roll as a unit.

5. A check protector as in claim 1, the rollers being strung upon and oscillatable about a bearing member, and means for clamping the rollers upon said bearing member in any selected relative position, to roll as a unit.

6. A check protector as in claim 1, including a pair of complementally tapered Washers received upon the spindle upon Which the rollers are strung, and means for securing the tapered Washers and the rollers in selected positions relative to each other.

7. A check protector as in claim 1, including a hollow spindle, upon Which the rollers are strung, the handle having a hearing pin received in the bore of said spindle opposite its flange, means to clamp the rollers in selected relative positions therebetween and a pair of complemental and relatively movable tapered Washers interposed between the roller at each end and the clamping devices.

8. A check protector comprising a holloW sleeve, a plurality of marking rollers mounted thereon for rotative adjustment thereon, clamping means for holding said rollers upon thesleeve, and a Wire handle bent in U-shape, and terminating in inwardly directed trunnions received in the ends of the bore of said sleeve.

Signed at Seattle, Washington, this 10th day of January, 1930.

FRANK J. MATTHEWS. 

